Electronic Drug Dispenser System

ABSTRACT

A medication administration and tracking system is described. The system is equipped with an electric medication dispenser configured to administer medication to a patient in a hospital bed without intervention from hospital staff. The dispenser is configured to allocate safe doses of prescribed or over-the-counter medications to a patient upon request by the patient. At least one method of biometric authentication is employed to solely permit access to the medication to the patient upon confirmation of his or her identity. A camera disposed on the dispenser is configured to witness the patient take the medication, and track the time and date of consumption. The medications administered are preferably equipped with a tracking sensor to help track medication levels within the patient, and monitor treatment efficacy.

This application is a continuation application of non-provisionalapplication Ser. No. 14/947,721, filed on Nov. 20, 2015, and priority isclaimed thereto.

FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to regulated patient drugadministration, and more specifically relates to a system foradministering drugs to patients via a biometrically authenticatedelectronic drug dispensing system configured to enable patients toself-administer medications while in a hospital bed without nurseassistance.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Elderly or ill patients admitted to the hospital are often prescribedmedications to help alleviate pain, expedite recovery, stabilizeconditions, and otherwise bring comfort to the patient during his or herstay. Conventionally, patients admitted into hospitals are not allowedto self-administer medications, including over-the-counter painkillers,as each dose of medication must be approved by the patient's physicianprior to administration.

As a result, many patients are often left waiting for approval beforethey are allowed to take their medications in a timely fashion.Additionally, it is customary for a nurse to bring the prescribed orrequested medications to the patient after approval at the appropriatetime windows. This often takes a good deal of time, and as such, paincontrol in hospitals is regarded as slow at best.

Many patients come to the conclusion that they could have simply broughtmedication from home, such as Tylenol™ or Ibuprofen, and alleviatedtheir pain much faster than through the proper channels at the hospital.Additionally, it is cheaper to bring medication from home.Unfortunately, doctors and hospital staff frown upon this, and attemptto prohibit the behavior, as each medication ingested by the patientmust be tracked and monitored. If medications are not carefully tracked,unknown medications can cause serious interactions with new medications.New medications may need to be adjusted for patient-specific factors.

Thus, there is a need for a system for the self-administration ofmedications to a patient in a hospital bed that allows the patient toindependently administer prescription and over-the-counter medication atthe correct times and doses without nurse intervention. Such a systempreferably tracks when medication is dispensed, and employs a camera(and/or other identity authentication technology) to verify themedication is dispensed to the correct patient, and that the patientconsumes the medication when dispensed. Such a system is also preferablyconfigured to function in tandem with existing digital healthtechnologies such as Proteus™ by Proteus Digital Health™ to furtherauthenticate administration of the medication. This system is preferablycapable of saving hospitals and other health centers money by lesseningnursing interruptions and decreasing errors, which can be better spenton patient care.

A reference is made in the prior art to a similar apparatus.International Publication Number WO 2013/033033 A1, filed on Aug. 27,2012 by Kraft et al. is for a Portable Drug Dispenser. Kraft et al.teaches a portable device configured to dispense personal medicationthat is equipped with biometric authentication and networkinteractivity. However, the device taught by Kraft et al. is designedfor portable use rather than use in a hospital by patients forconvenience and to expedite pain relief as is the intent of the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is an electronic drug dispenser system configuredto be fixed at a bedside of a patient in a hospital. The system of thepresent invention employs biometric authentication to verify theidentity of the patient accessing the dispenser. The biometricauthentication preferably employs the fingerprint, thumb-impression,iris scan, face recognition, and/or voice identification to verify theidentity of the patient. The system of the present invention is designedsuch that a patient may personally take the medicine from the dispenserwithout a need to call a nurse, and self-administer the medication. Thesystem also is equipped with a camera configured to track the patientaccessing the dispenser while taking the medications. An alternate powerback-up is also preferably provided by the system for use in case ofpower failure. Additionally, the present invention is preferablyconfigured to continue operation independently without a networkconnection in the event that the network goes down.

Additionally, the system of the present invention also preferablyperforms drug tracking in order to confirm the ingestion of the drug bythe patient for keeping a record of the medication provided to thepatient. As such, the medications dispensed via the system of thepresent invention preferably include medication ingestion trackingtechnology, such as that employed by Proteus Digital Health. The systemof the present invention may be configured to function in tandem withthe medication tracking system of Proteus Digital Health.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood with reference to theappended drawing sheets, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the process of use of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an example embodiment of the intake questionnaire preferablyadministered during a patient's admission to the hospital or medicalinstitution that facilitates safe use of the process of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 displays an embodiment of the medication dispenser of themedication dispensing system of the present invention as seen from thefront.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a medication dispensing and tracking systemconfigured for use at the bedside of a patient. The present invention ispreferably employed in hospitals and similar medical centers forpatients' personal use. As such, the present invention is preferablyaccessible to the patient without the need to stand or get out of thebed, preventing the need to walk, and helping to avoid falls.

The present invention is preferably equipped with a touchscreen display(10), an on-board computer (15) a bed anchor (20), at least onedispenser (30), a medicine compartment (35) disposed in each iterationof the at least one dispenser (30), a biometric identity authenticationsystem consisting of a fingerprint reader (40) and a camera (75), amount (45) and a swivel arm (50). The on-board computer (15), at leastone dispenser (30), medicine compartment (35), biometric identityauthentication system and touchscreen display (10) are preferablycontained within a housing (70) in communication with the swivel arm(50) which may be moved and adjusted about the mount (45). Additionally,a portion of the present invention is bolted or otherwise affixed to thepatient's bed via the bed anchor (20) to prevent theft. It should benoted that the present invention is preferably mounted to the bed (bedframe or support poles) rather than the floor of the hospital room tofacilitate and expedite cleaning of the hospital room between patients.It should be understood that the present invention may be removed fromthe bed with a proprietary key or similar tool to be used exclusively byauthorized personnel.

The present invention is preferably configured to be situated at eitherthe right or left side of the bed of the patient, and may preferably bemoved easily at the request of the patient. The at least one dispenser(30) of the present invention is preferably configured to swing in frontof the patient via the mount (45) and swivel arm (50), and may beadjusted up, down, left, or to the right for the convenience of thepatient. The swivel arm (50) is preferably adjusted via an electricservo motor, however it is envisioned that the position of the at leastone dispenser (30) may be manually adjusted via adjustment knobs.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the swivel arm(50) is preferably equipped with a cup holder (55), which provides aresting place for a cup or bottle of water, or any other beverage of thepatient to facilitate the patient swallowing dispensed medication. Someembodiments of the present invention are preferably equipped with aspecialized cup configured to fit with the cup holder (55). Such a cupis preferably equipped with two handles, as to facilitate use of the cupby stroke victims, who may grab the cup from both sides. The cup is alsoequipped with an optional straw or sippy-cup top to assist in spill-freeuse by patients of all ages and conditions.

The system of the present invention employs a medication compartmentconfigured to dispense an individual dose of prescribed medication orapproved over-the-counter medication upon request. A patient mustmanually request the medication from the dispenser for the medicationcompartment (35) to dispense the dose. Each dose of any medicationsavailable to the patient are individually compartmentalized such thatonly one dose is available to the patient at a time. As such, eachiteration of the at least one dispenser (30) of the present invention isequipped with a separate medication compartment (35) for housing asingle dose of medication. The medication housed in each of the at leastone dispenser (30) is tracked and mapped via the onboard computer (15)of the present invention.

In order to successfully request medication, the identity of the patientmust first be authenticated. Authentication is preferably facilitatedvia an onboard biometric sensor, such as an electronic fingerprintreader, iris scanner, facial recognition, voice recognition, or ahospital unique identification bracelet barcode. It is envisioned thatdual biometric authentication is preferably required in order for apatient to access any iteration of the at least one dispenser (30) ofthe present invention. The patient preferably initiates the biometricidentity authentication process by touching the touchscreen display(10), and initiating a request for medication. A request for medicationvia voice may also be interpreted by the on-board computer (15) in lieuof interaction with the touchscreen display (10). Upon selection of thedesired available medication, and a confirmed biometric identity of thepatient, the at least one dispenser (30) becomes available to thepatient for use. The at least one dispenser (30) may be held behind alocked door (65) disposed near or adjacent to the touchscreen display(10) of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3.

The system of the present invention preferably employs two steps ofbiometric authentication before permitting the patient access tomedication dispensed from the medication compartment. An on-boardcomputer is configured to interface with the biometric authenticationequipment of the present invention to verify the identity of the patientby matching biometric data gathered from the biometric authenticationequipment against known biometric data of the patient. The knownbiometric data of the patient is preferably housed in the patient'sdigital database file, which is retrieved via network communicationbetween the on-board computer and the systems of the hospital.

The medication compartment (35) of the present invention is preferablyfairly small, and is configured to hold a single dose of medication inaccordance with the needs, special conditions, and prescribed dosagesspecific to the patient. The limitation to a single dose within eachmedication compartment (35) is intended to prevent any chance for anoverdose. As such, the medication compartment is preferably filled priorto the patient's arrival to the hospital bed, and is preferably refilledonly if needed. It is envisioned that the medicine compartment of thedispenser of the present invention is preferably filled easily by handby a pharmacist or a nurse. The touchscreen display (10) is configuredto display information pertaining to the medications contained withinthe at least one dispenser (30), and is preferably configured todeactivate the display when not in use to prevent patient sleep issues.Alternate embodiments of the present invention may be equipped withmedicine compartments (35) that vary in size according to the size ofthe pill. Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the medicinecompartments (35) are housed within the at least one dispenser (30),which is preferably housed behind a locked door (65). The locked door(65) may be clear or semi-opaque, and is only configured to open afterpatient identity is confirmed via biometric authentication. Someembodiments may employ multiple locked doors, one for each instantiationof the at least one dispenser (30), further limiting the patient'saccess to dispensers not containing the requested medication. Otherembodiments of the present invention may be equipped with a lockingmechanism on the at least one dispenser (30), which limit access to themedicine compartment (35) until dual biometric authentication of theidentity of the patient is attained.

The dispenser of the system of the present invention is preferablyconnected to a conventional AC power source, and is preferably equippedwith an onboard back-up battery to facilitate use of the presentinvention in locales with unstable electricity, or in cases of poweroutage. The AC power source is configured to power the biometricauthentication equipment, the onboard computer, and the medicationdispensing mechanism of the present invention.

Safe use of the system of the present invention requires accurate,present information pertaining to the medications and/or treatments thepatient is taking. Therefore, additional questions are preferably addedto the hospital intake form required during admission to conventionalmedical facilities. In addition to standard intake patient information,such as personal contact information, emergency contact information,medical history information, and current prescription and medicationinformation, each patient is preferably asked a series of questions,either by the nurse, or by the intake staff of the medical facility. Anembodiment of a questionnaire (60) containing these questions is shownin FIG. 2, which may be asked verbally by a nurse, or filled out by thepatient in writing (on paper or electronically) if he or she is able. Itis envisioned that these questions may vary in time and practice asspecific conditions require. It should be understood that thequestionnaire (60) may be administered on a computer or tablet device.Some questions of the questionnaire (60), as listed in FIG. 2, areconducive to determining what should be made available to the patientvia the system of the present invention. For example, questions sevenand eight asks the patient if he or she smokes or uses NicotineReplacement Therapy (NRT) solutions. If the patient indicates ‘Yes,’then NRT treatment may be made available, in some cases, to the patientvia a medicine container (35) of the present invention. Similarly, ifthe patient indicates that he or she is in pain, cold packs and/or hotpacks may be provided to the patient. Such hot and/or cold packs arepreferably disposed on top or in a rear compartment of the housing (70)of the present invention.

Additionally, during intake or admission to the health or medicalinstitution, the capability of the patient to use the system of thepresent invention is preferably evaluated. If, when questioned and ifapparent, the patient indicates that they are mentally and physicallyable to make his or her own decisions about taking medication. If thepatient is responsible, able, and is informed on how to use the presentinvention, he or she will be provided use of the present invention. Ifnot, the medicine compartments (35) preferably remain empty, and thepatient is not allowed access to the system of the present invention.

The process of use of the present invention, as depicted in FIG. 1, ispreferably as follows:

-   -   1. A patient is admitted into a hospital or similar health care        facility. (100)    -   2. Hospital staff input intake information into the database of        the facility via the questionnaire. Intake information        preferably contains biometric data including, but not limited        to, a headshot for facial recognition, an iris scan, and/or at        least one fingerprint. Doctor and prescription information for        the patient is also attained, and the questions from the        questionnaire are administered. (110) It is preferred that more        than one form of biometric data is captured from the patient. It        should be noted that the questionnaire indicates whether patient        is cognitively competent and physically able to operate the        system of the present invention.    -   3. Approval is attained from a doctor, physician's assistant, or        nurse practitioner for medications indicated during intake, and        order medications from Pixus™ medical repository. (115)    -   4. A nurse accesses and interprets the intake information from        the database, and deposits relevant medications, both prescribed        and pertinent over-the-counter, to the medicine container of the        dispenser of the system of the present invention. (120)    -   5. Patient is moved in to his or her hospital bed in the        hospital room. The dispenser is disposed adjacent to the        hospital bed, within hands-reach of the patient. (130)    -   6. The patient is in need of an available medication. He or she        requests the medication by pressing a request button on the        touchscreen display, or making a verbal command/voice        activation. (140) It is envisioned that other methods of        requesting or initiating the dispensing process of the present        invention may also be employed.    -   7. The patient is then prompted to verify his or her identity        via biometric authentication. The fingerprint scanner and        digital camera of the present invention capture live biometric        data from the patient. (150)    -   8. The live biometric data is compared to the intake biometric        data of the patient via the on-board computer. (160)    -   9. Upon authenticating the identity of the patient, the        dispenser dispenses the requested medication from the medicine        compartment as a single dose into the hand of the patient        without nurse intervention or assistance. (170) Only one dose is        contained in each medicine compartment, one medicine compartment        per dispenser.    -   10. The on-board computer logs the time and date that the        medication was dispensed to the patient, and saves the log        information to the database in the patient's file. (180) A red        light is preferably configured to illuminate during medication        dispensing and computer logging the administration of the        medication.    -   11. The digital camera of the present invention records a video        of the patient as he or she takes the medication, helping to        confirm consumption of the medication by the authenticated        patient. (190)    -   12. The on-board computer relaying the video and data to the        database of the hospital via a network connection. (200) The        video and data are also preferably stored locally, so that the        present invention can operate independently of the network in        the event of a network and/or power outage.    -   13. A LED light (80) disposed on the housing (70) of the present        invention illuminates to alert the bedside nurse that at least        one dispenser (30) has been accessed. (210)    -   14. The on-board computer transmits all data pertaining to the        patient's interaction with the system to the network of the        hospital, including dose amount, time, pain level indicated (if        needed), and whether a hot or cold pack was accessed. (215)    -   15. Nurse may then reset the at least one dispenser, refill the        medicine container, and monitor a timer to ensure dose frequency        is not above recommendation. (220)

Alternate embodiments of the present invention include integrated use ofmedication tracking systems configured to monitor the medication dosagelevels active within the patient via proprietary nanoscale intra-pilltechnology, such as that of Proteus Digital Health. In such embodiments,the on-board computer of the present invention is configured tocommunicate with the patch of the Proteus system to further monitormedication usage and efficacy in real-time.

Additionally, some embodiments of the present invention may be equippedwith additional diagnostic software and/or programs configured tointeract with the patient via the touchscreen display (10). For example,if a patient is in pain and is wishing to request pain medication, theon-board computer (15) may prompt the patient to provide details aboutthe pain they are experiencing via the touchscreen display (10). A humanbody may be shown to the patient on the touchscreen display (10), atwhich time the patient may be instructed to tap the location on the bodythat is in pain. Then, the touchscreen display (10) preferably promptsthe patient to indicate the severity of the pain on a scale of one toten.

Additionally, the touchscreen display (10) of the present invention ispreferably configured to provide feedback to the patient. For example,the touchscreen display (10) may provide encouraging statements such as,“You are doing good things to manage your pain,” or,

“You have some control of your situation.” This form of cognitivebehavioral treatment can be beneficial to the mental state of thepatient, which can help him or her to feel better as well.

The medicine containers (35) of the at least one dispenser (30) of thepresent invention are preferably configured to hold medicationsincluding neuropathy medication (Lyrica™), migraine Triptans, anxietymedication (Ativan™), emergency medications (SLNTG), Acetaminophen,Ibuprofen, Colace, and other medications. Alternately, some embodimentsof the present invention may be equipped with a more robust patientservice platform. For example, more robust embodiments of the presentinvention may be equipped with a music player incorporated into theon-board computer to enable the user to play music in his or herhospital room. A headphone jack and/or small speaker disposed in thehousing (70) of the present invention may be configured to play themusic per the instruction of the patient via the touchscreen display(10). It should be understood that the on-board computer (15),touchscreen display (10) and any other electric components of thepresent invention are powered conventionally via AC power, however it isenvisioned that the present invention is equipped with an internalbattery for use of the present invention in the event of a power outage.Similarly, it should be understood that a microphone and/or speaker arepreferably present within the housing (70) of the present invention tofacilitate the functionality of voice commands and biometric voicerecognition. Additionally, some embodiments of the present invention areconfigured to read a barcode or QR-code associated with the patient tohelp identify the patient, supplementing the biometric authentication ofthe present invention.

Having illustrated the present invention, it should be understood thatvarious adjustments and versions might be implemented without venturingaway from the essence of the present invention. Further, it should beunderstood that the present invention is not solely limited to theinvention as described in the embodiments above, but further comprisesany and all embodiments within the scope of this application.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the presentinvention have been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit thepresent invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order tobest explain the principles of the present invention and its practicalapplication, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe present invention and various embodiments with various modificationsas are suited to the particular use contemplated.

I claim:
 1. A method for safely delivering medical supplies to patientsof a hospital without assistance comprising: receiving information forintake; capturing identity data; storing the identity data to a databaseas identity reference data; depositing relevant medical supplies into atleast one container disposed within at least one dispenser disposed nearthe patient; a computer comparing the biometric identity authenticationdata to the biometric reference data to verify the identity of thepatient; the patient selecting requisite medical supplies from therelevant medical supplies without nurse authorization; a locked doorprotecting the at least one dispenser that unlocks without nurseinteraction; the at least one dispenser dispensing the requisite medicalsupplies to the patient without nurse intervention; and the patientreceiving the requisite medical supplies without nurse intervention. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising: interpreting the informationfor intake after said storing the identity data to a database asidentity reference data.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:wherein the relevant medical supplies are determined by saidinterpreting the information for intake.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the at least one dispenser is mounted in proximity to thepatient.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the patientinteracting with the at least one dispenser without nurse intervention.6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transporting the patientto the hospital bed.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: thepatient deciding that the patient is in need of the requisite medicalsupplies.
 8. A method for safely delivering medical supplies to apatient of a hospital without assistance comprising: receivinginformation for intake; capturing biometric identity data from thepatient via a first camera; storing the biometric identity data to adatabase as biometric reference data; hospital staff depositing relevantmedical supplies into at least one dispenser disposed near the patient;wherein the relevant medical supplies are determined via the informationfor intake; the patient needing medical supplies, the medical suppliesindicated during said receiving information for intake; the patientrequesting the medical supplies without hospital staff intervention; anon-board computer comparing biometric identity authentication data tothe biometric reference data to verify an identity of the patient; thepatient selecting the medical supplies without hospital staffintervention; the at least one dispenser unlocking; and the at least onedispenser dispensing the medical supplies to the patient withouthospital staff intervention.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: admitting the patient to the hospital before said receivinginformation for intake.
 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:the hospital staff interpreting the intake information after saidstoring the biometric identity data to a database as biometric referencedata.
 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising: identifying thepatient to verify appropriate administration after said the patientrequesting the medical supplies without hospital staff intervention. 12.The method of claim 8, further comprising: verifying the patientconsumed the medical supplies after said the at least one dispenserdispensing the medical supplies to the patient without hospital staffintervention.